Fahad Ferdous, UNB Staff Writer

Dhaka, Sept 6  (UNB) – The government has taken a move to increase the license and renewal fees of private medical colleges, hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres of the country aiming to increase revenue collection from this sector.
 
If implemented this will be first such fees hike in the sector since 1982, according to the Finance Ministry.
 
Plan is underway to hike annual fees of the private medical colleges from a paltry Tk. 5000 to Tk 2.5 lakh.
 
The annual license and renewal fees of private hospitals and clinics established in divisional headquarters, city corporations, districts and upazila level is currently Tk 5000. Proposal has been given to make it up to Tk 2 lakh depending on the number of beds.
 
The annual and renewal fees in divisions and city corporations for 10-50 bed hospital will be Tk 50,000, whereas it will be Tk 40,000 in district level while the fees for upazila-level ones will be Tk 25,000.
 
The fees for 51-100 bed private hospitals and clinics will be Tk 1 lakh for divisions and city corporation areas, Tk 75,000 at districts, and Tk 50,000 at upazila-level.
 
For 101-249 bed the fees will be Tk 1.50 lakh in divisions and city corporations, Tk 1 lakh for districts and Tk 75,000 for upazilas.
 
Private hospitals in divisions and city corporations that have 250 beds will have to pay Tk 2 lakh for annual and renewal fees. The rate for district level is proposed at Tk 1.50 lakh while for the upazila level it will be Tk 1 lakh.
 
Category-A diagnostic labs that have routine pathology, biochemistry, microbiology, haematology, x-ray, ultra-sonogram, microbiology, immunology, hormone test, radiology, imaging, CT Scan and MRI are now paying Tk 1000 only for license and renewal fees.
 
These fees will be Tk 50,000, Tk 40,000 and Tk 25,000 in divisions/city corporations, districts and upazilas respectively.
 
For the Category-B diagnostic labs, the rates will be Tk 35,000, Tk 25,000 and Tk 20,000 respectively.
 
The rates for the Category-C diagnostic labs will be Tk 25,000, Tk 20,000 and Tk 15,000 respectively.
 
The medical check-up centres established for checking up the people going to abroad have to pay Tk 1 lakh instead of existing Tk 1000 as fees for setting up and renewals.
 
For setting up the dental clinics the rates will be Tk 30,000, Tk 25,000 and Tk 20,000 for divisions/city corporations, districts and upazilas respectively.
 
According to a senior official of the Finance Ministry the government has taken the move to increase the rates after 36 years aiming to improve the revenue collection from this sector.